Device for picking up covering fabrics from plantation fields

ABSTRACT

A device is provided for picking up fabrics from plantation fields which comprises a frontally mounted capturing device ( 9 ), through which a spread-out fabric ( 8 ) may be pulled in while forming a narrow strand. A rotatable shaft ( 11 ) is axially placed on the vehicle in order to be able to receive a reel ( 10 ). Between the capturing device ( 9 ) and the reel ( 10 ), there are hollow cylinders ( 14,14′,14″ ) for guiding the strand of fabric in a gathered state to the reel ( 10 ). In the proximity of the reel, there is also an oscillating arm ( 12 ) for evenly distributing the strand of fabric onto the reel.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device intended for picking up coveringfabrics from plantation fields, comprising a shaft mountable on awheel-borne vehicle, which shaft is rotatable with the purpose ofguaranteeing winding the fabric into a roll.

PRIOR ART

Recently, it has become usual to cover outdoor cultivations with fabricswith the purpose of ensuring a good heat generation in the immediateproximity to the crops, as well as protecting the crops against insector bug attacks. The improved heat generation yields early and safeharvests and by the fact that insects are kept away from the crops, theuse of chemical insect control means may be made unnecessary. For thelast-mentioned reason, the covering fabrics are used with a particularadvantage in ecological cultivations. The fabrics may consist of afibrous fabric or a perforated plastic film, which in both cases isdelivered in long lengths having a large width. In practice, thesefabrics usually have a width within the range of 10-13 meters and alength of 150-250 meters or more. At delivery, the fabrics are foldedand wound into rolls the width of which may attain approx. 2 meters. Toput out such fabrics on the plantation field is comparatively simple,but problems arise when the fabrics are to be taken in from the fieldtowards the end of the cultivation season so as to be reused during afollowing cultivation season. Most often, the handling is done manually,more precisely by several men successively pulling out smaller portionsof the fabric, after loosening existing anchorages, to one edge of theplantation field and there fold and pack said fabric together step bystep along the entire length thereof. This procedure is not onlylaborious and time-consuming but also associated with high risks ofsensitive crop being damaged. With the purpose of removing the need forthe difficult manual handling of fabrics, simpler machine equipmentshave been developed for partly mechanized picking up the fabrics. Moreprecisely, these equipments consist of rotatable shafts which aredrivable by means of, for instance, the ordinary hydraulic system of atractor and which are included in a stand mountable on the rear of thetractor. However, such shafts merely permit a partial facilitation ofthe work inasmuch as the fabric may be wound to itself and betransported away from the field only when it still has been foldedtogether manually to a limited width (approx. 2 meters) whichcorresponds to the length of the shaft. In other words, this mechanizedmethod still requires manual folding of the fabric before winding itonto the shaft.

OBJECTS AN FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims at obviating the above-mentioned problems andat creating a device for picking up fabrics which radically decreasesthe need for manual work in conjunction with the removal of coveringfabrics from plantation fields, as well as reduces the risks for damagesto the crops as well as the fabrics to a minimum. Thus, a primaryobjection of the invention is to provide a device for picking up fabricswhich permits that the fabric in the existing, spread out state is takenup directly from the field and taken care of in an immediately storableform without having to be handled by many people. A further object ofthe invention is to create a picking up device permitting a simple, fastand effective picking up work by one single man, viz., a driver of atractor or a similar vehicle. In doing so, the driver should be able todeliver the fabric modified to a storable shape without having to leavethe vehicle. It is also an object of the invention to create a pickingup device permitting picking up covering fabrics independent of thecurrent weather, in particular with regard to wind-force andprecipitation conditions.

According to the invention, at least the primary object is attained by adevice for picking up a spread out sheet of fabric from a farm field,comprising a shaft which may be mounted on a tractor or the like, withthe shaft being rotatable for winding the fabric onto a roll. Theapparatus includes an elongate arm which may be mounted to extend fromthe front of the vehicle, and which has a fabric capturing device suchas a loop at its front end. The fabric may be drawn through the loopthereby forming a narrow strand. The rotatable shaft is axially mountedto the vehicle, to received as well as liberate a separate reel forwinding the bunched up fabric by driving the vehicle in a directionbackwards or forwards. Between the capturing device and the shaft areplaced one or more members for guiding the fabric strand in its gatheredstate from the capturing drive to the reel. These members include apassageway for the fabric which is restricted in size relative to thecapturing device, for bunching the fabric into a comparatively narrowstrand. A mechanism is arranged in proximity to the shaft to evenlydistribute the arriving strand of fabric onto the reel. Preferredembodiments of the device for picking up fabrics according to theinvention include the capturing device consisting of an endless frame orring. Further, the capturing device may be placed in front of the frontwheels of the tractor or similar vehicle to which the registration armis mounted.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, the separate reel comprises acentral pipe for application onto the shaft, and includes two oppositegables on either end. The shaft is vertically tiltable and includes adog having one or more fingers which automatically engage one of thegables when an end portion of the reel approaches an inner end positionin proximity to the dog, as the shaft is tilted to a position pointingobliquely outwards and upwards. With this arrangement the reel may bereleased from the dog when the shaft is tilted to a position pointingobliquely outwards and downwards. The gables may consist of an externalring and a plurality of spokes.

In a further aspect, the guiding means may consist of one or more pipepieces e.g., hollow members such as hollow cylindrical members, whichare somewhat elongate. Preferably at least one of these pipe piecesincludes an elbow for guiding a strand of fabric from a motion pathwhich is axial to the direction of travel of the tractor, to one whichis transverse to this direction for winding up on the reel. Preferably,the apparatus includes mounting means in which the shaft and reel are atthe rear of the vehicle. The fabric guiding means and distributionmechanism are mounted on the framework along one side of the vehicle andprojecting laterally from the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the inventionmounted on a tractor during work,

FIG. 2 is a planar view from above of the tractor working in aplantation field together with the device,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged planar view from above showing the device more indetail,

FIG. 4 is a section I—I in FIG. 3, although without the wound fabric,and

FIG. 5 is a partial view from above showing a dog for rotation of a reelfor picking up fabrics.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the present invention, as shown asmounted to a tractor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In the drawings (see initially FIGS. 1 and 2), 1 generally designates avehicle in the form of a tractor which, in a conventional way, mayinclude a frontal wheel pair relatively small wheels 2, as well as arear wheel pair having considerably larger wheels 3. Advantageously,these wheels are possible to reset so that they may be adjusted tovarious distances between the plant rows. In other words, the wheels ofthe tractor should be able to be brought forward in furrows 4 betweenadjacent plant rows 5. In the drawings, 6 designates a frontal end ofthe tractor, while a rear end is generally designated 7. A coveringfabric for protecting the crops growing on the plantation field is inturn generally designated 8.

For the continued description reference is now also made to FIGS. 3 to5. A picking up device made according to the invention is mounted ontractor 1, the main components of which device consist of a capturingdevice 9, a reel 10 which is mountable on a rotatable shaft 11, andmeans for guiding a part of the fabric shaped to a strand by thecapturing device 9 from the capturing device to the reel 10.Furthermore, a mechanism 12, which has the purpose of evenlydistributing the held together fabric strand on the reel 10, is includedin the device.

In the example shown the capturing device 9 consists of an endless frameor ring which is applied on an registration arm in the shape of a bar 13which projects from one side of the tractor. More precisely, the frame 9is placed in front of the front wheels of the tractor, with the framesituated comparatively highly above the ground (e.g. within the range of1-2 meters). This placing guarantees that the fabric 8 may be removedfrom the crops in a careful way by being lifted up in a comparativelysteep angle against the ground-level as well as that the strand-shaped,gathered part of the fabric which follows after the capturing devicedoes not get stuck in the wheels of the tractor even if hard wind wouldoccur.

The gathered strand of fabrics is led from the capturing device 9 via anumber of pipe pieces 14, 14′, 14″ of which the two first-mentioned oneshave the shape of straight pipes with a considerable length extension.The last-mentioned pipe piece consists of a pipe bend by means of whichthe strand of fabric may be unlinked from the motion path parallel tothe length extension of the vehicle to a transverse motion path indirection towards the reel 10. In the present example, the reel 10 ismounted at the rear of the tractor. In doing so, the guiding pipes 14,14′, 14″ are mounted on a framework 15, which extends along one side ofthe tractor, and they are carried by a laterally projecting carrier 16.

The shaft 11 is carried by a fastener 17 (see FIG. 3), which is turnablymoveable relatively the framing of the tractor. More precisely, thefastener 17 may be turned in the vertical plane by means of thethree-point lift 18 of the tractor. By means of this three-point lift,the shaft 11 may thus be tilted between various oblique positions, moreprecisely between an upper end position in which the shaft pointsobliquely outwards/upwards relatively the horizontal plane and a lowerend position in which it points obliquely downwards, backwards relativeto the horizontal plane. The shaft 11 is rotatably mounted in a bearingdevice 19 (see FIG. 5) applied on the fastener 17, and drivable by meansof a hydraulic motor 20 connected to the ordinary power outlet of thetractor. Between the motor and the bearing device a sliding clutch 21may be arranged. On the shaft, there is a dog in the shape of a disk 22having one or more fingers 23.

The reel 10 includes, in addition to a central pipe 24 for applicationonto the shaft 11, two opposite end portions, each one of which consistsof an external ring 25 and a plurality of spokes 26 which extendradially between the ring and the pipe. The reel constructed in this wayis in practice easy to handle, inasmuch as the application as well asthe removal can be carried out by means of levers inside the drivingcompartment. Thus, the shaft 11 may be tilted to a substantiallyhorizontally or obliquely downwards/backwards leaning position in whichit may be inserted into the pipe 24 of a reel laying on the ground. Whenthe shaft is thereafter tilted up to an obliquely upwards/backwardsleaning position, the reel pipe automatically slides forwards so thatthe fingers 23 on the dog 22 will stick into the spaces between adjacentspokes. This means that the dog automatically connects the motor's driftto the reel so that this is brought to rotate when the shaft is rotatedby means of the motor. When the reel has been filled with fabrics thereel may be removed from the shaft merely the simple measure of tiltingthe shaft to an obliquely backwards/downwards leaning position in whichthe reel automatically slides off the shaft.

The distribution mechanism 12 has in the shown example the shape of anarm which at a first end is articulatedly connected to the frame 15 inorder to be pivotable backwards and forwards, and which at the oppositeend thereof has a loop 27 through which the strand of fabrics may pass.Instead of a loop, other means may also be used, e.g. an upwardly openU-bolt. Pivoting of the arm 12 is guaranteed by means of a hydrauliccylinder 28, which by being shortened and lengthened in a steady pace,brings the arm to sway backwards and forwards along the length extensionof the reel in a corresponding pace.

FIG. 6 illustrates the picking up device mounted to a conventionaltractor 1. The tractor 1 includes a conventional three point lift 18which includes pivot-mounted lower and upper support arms 30 and 32. Itwill be seen that arms 30 and 32 diverge outwardly and rearwardly, inorder to effect a rearward tilting of an object carried by the arms asthe lower arm is drawn upwardly by hydraulic cylinder 31. The arms 30and 32 carry the fastener 17, which comprises a frame for supporting themotor 20 and shaft 11. In a conventional manner, shaft 11 is journalledwithin bearing device 19. In the orientation shown in FIG. 6, the shaft11 tilts upwardly and rearwardly, thus permitting the reel 10 to engagefingers 23 of the dog 22. Disengagement occurs when the gathering deviceis lowered and tilted downwardly and rearwardly, thus permitting thereel 10 to slide away from the dog 22.

FUNCTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

When a covering fabric, spread-out on a plantation field, is to beremoved, the preparatory measure is taken that the existing anchoragesare at least partly removed from the long side edges of the fabric. Inaddition, a 5-10 meters long cord may advantageously be fastened at oneend of the fabric. This cord may in a simple way be pulled through thecapturing device 9, the various pipe pieces 14, 14′, 14″, the loop 27 onthe pivoting arm 12, and wound some rounds around the central pipe 24 ofa reel applied on the shaft 11. The application of the reel onto theshaft is carried out in the simple way previous described, i.e. byinitially tilting the shaft to a lower position in which it may beinserted into the direction upwards, the reel automatically sliding toan inner end position in which the dog is automatically engaged with thespokes of the inner end portion. Picking up the fabric is initiated bysetting the reel in rotation simultaneously as the tractor is driven inthe forward direction, more precisely with the wheels of the tractorpositioned in the furrows between adjacent plant rows. When the cordattached to one end of the fabric has in its entity passed the capturingdevice 9, the fabric too is pulled through the device, whereby the 10-13meters wide fabric is gathered and shaped to a comparatively narrowstrand. This strand then passes through the guiding pipe pieces as wellas the loop of the distribution arm, and then the same is wound to thereel while forming a roll. By the fact that the guiding pipe pieces areof a considerable length, it is guaranteed that the strand of the fabricis smoothly guided through the same without fluttering and gettingitself entangled therein. In addition, the distribution arm guaranteesthat the arriving strand of fabric is evenly distributed in the rollwhich is built up on the reel.

A substantial advantage of the device according to the invention is thatthe fabric is taken up from the spread-out state thereof on theplantation field without initially having to be folded. By the fact thatthe capturing device is placed relatively high above the ground-leveland in front of the front wheels of the tractor, it is furthermoreguaranteed that the fabric will be removed from the ground-level in acomparatively large or steep angle. This means that the risk for damageon the crops is minimized. Simultaneously, the steep angle guaranteesthat the fabric will not be damaged as well as be kept clean by the factthat soil and stones may roll along the fabric all the way to the freeend, which is finally captured and wound onto the reel. Furthermore, itis avoided that the still spread-out part of the fabric does not getcaught in the tractor wheels in conjunction with possible fluttermotions as a consequence of wind. Another substantial advantage is thatthe roll of fabric wound onto the reel may be handled in a simple andtimesaving way. Thus, the reel together with the fabric may in a simpleway be encircled by a plastic bag or the like in order to protect thefabric against UV-light. Such a protective bag may be smoothly wrappedaround the reel while it is still applied to the shaft 11, and then thereel may be transported by means of the tractor to a suitable storageyard.

When a new cultivation season is to be initiated, the used fabric woundto the reel may be laid out on the plantation field again in a smoothand timesaving way. Thus, the fabric may be pulled out from the reel ina strand shape through the loop 27 of the distribution arm 12, whilethis is kept inactive, and then the fabric is spread out over the fieldby two men following the tractor and separating the long side edges ofthe fabric as the tractor moves forwards along the plantation field.

FEASIBLE MODIFICATIONS OF THE INVENTION

The invention is not solely restricted to the embodiment described andshown in the drawings. Thus, it is feasible to mount the shaft of thereel at the front of the tractor instead of at the rear. However, alsoin this case the shaft is mounted axially in order to permit the simpleand smooth attachment and detachment, respectively, of the reel. In casethe shaft together with the reel is front-mounted, the number of guidingpipe pieces may be reduced, for instance to only one pipe bend. Alsoother modifications of the invention are possible within the scope ofthe attached claim 1.

What is claimed is:
 1. Device for picking up covering a spread-out sheetof fabrics from plantation fields, comprising a shaft which is mountableon a wheel-borne vehicle, and rotatable with the purpose of winding thefabric into a roll, characterized in that the same comprises a capturingdevice (9), which is arranged on a registration arm (13) placeable atthe front of the vehicle (1), and includes an opening through which afabric (8) spread-out on a field may be pulled in while forming a narrowstrand, that the rotatable shaft (11) is axially placed on the vehicle(1) in order to be able to receive as well as liberate a separate reel(10) intended for winding the strand-shaped fabric by driving thevehicle in the direction backwards or forwards, and that there are means(14, 14′, 14″) between the capturing device (9) and the shaft (11) forguiding the strand of the fabric in a gathered state from the capturingdevice to the reel (10), said means including a passageway for saidfabric restricted in size relative to the opening of said capturingdevice for shaping said fabric into a comparatively narrow strand, amechanism (12) being arranged in proximity of the shaft (11) to evenlydistribute the arriving strand of fabric onto the reel.
 2. Deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the capturing deviceconsists of an endless frame or ring (9).
 3. Device according to claim1, characterized in that the reel (10), in addition to a central pipe(24) for application onto the shaft (11), comprises two opposite gableson either end, and that the shaft (11) is vertically tiltable andcomprises a dog (22) having one or several finger (23), which mayautomatically engage one of said gables when an end portion of the reelapproaches an inner end position in proximity of the dog by the factthat the shaft is tilted to a position pointing obliquelyoutwards/upwards.
 4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said gableseach comprise a peripheral ring and a plurality of spokes joining saidring with said central pipe.
 5. Device according to claim 1,characterized in that said guiding means consists of hollow members (14,14′, 14″) having a marked length extension.
 6. Device according to claim5, characterized in that at least one of said hollow cylindrical membersconsists of an elbow (14″) to guide the strand of fabric from a motionpath parallel to the direction of pick-up of said fabric to a directiontransverse to said direction of pick, for winding up of said fabric ontosaid reel.
 7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that theshaft (11) and the reel (10) are arranged to be placed at the rear ofthe vehicle (1), all fabric guiding means (14, 14′, 14″) together withthe distribution mechanism (12) being mounted on a framework (15)arranged to be placed along one side of the vehicle, said frameworkbeing arranged on a carrier (16) for projecting laterally from thevehicle.
 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that thedistribution mechanism comprises an arm (12), which at a first end isarticulatedly connected to the frame (15) in order to be pivotablebackwards and forwards by drive means, and at a second end has means(27) for guiding the strand of fabric.